Therapeutic apparatus for vapor treatment of the ear



May 7, 1940.

J. J. NOWAK 2.200.008

THERAPEUTIC ABPARATUS .FOR VAPOR TREATMENT OF THE BAR Filed March 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jazm J. Nawak J. J. NOWAK May 7, 1940.

THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS FOR VAPOR TREATMENT OF THE EAR Filed March 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J27]!!! L7: Nawak Patented May 7, 1940 PATENT OFFICE THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS FOR VAPOR TREATMENT OF THE EAR John J. Nowak, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application March 4,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to therapeutic apparatus for the vapor treatment of the ear.

It has for its general object the provision of means for gene-rating warm medicated vapor and means for producing a pulsating flow of the vapor and for discharging it in a" succession of gentle puffs or pulsations in the ear.

One of the more specific objects of the invention is to, provide vaporizing apparatus of the class described including a vaporizing unit and a pump and motor unit readily separable therefrom, so as to give easy access to the interior of the vaporizing unit to facilitate cleansing the inner surfaces thereof, from time to time, of vapor condensate.

Another object of the invention is the provision of vaporizing apparatus including means forming a volatilizing chamber and a vapor heating chamher in intercommunication, with electrical heating elements in each chamber of such type as to isolate the vapors from contact with incandescent surfaces, to insure against ignition of the vapors in the event that they may be inflammable or explosive.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the conservation of the heat in the vaporizing apparatus by minimizing its radiation or escape into the associated metallic parts of the apparatus;

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a rotary impeller or pump so constructed asto draw the heated vapor from the heating chamber and todeliver it into a conduit,-preferably of flexible nature having an ear nozzle, so constructed as to produce andto direct a continuous pulsating jet of warm vapor into the ear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pump motor unit from which the pump element may be readily detached for cleansing.

40 Other objects of the invention will appear as a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds. 1

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of the following specification and throughout the several figures of which the same-characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts: 1

Figure 1 is a View partly in elevation and. partly in section illustrating apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is a section taken'along the line 3-3 ofFigure 1; a v

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the pump; and v 1938, Serial No. 194,006

Figure 5 is a section'taken along the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the vaporizing unit comprises a plate 1 upon which are suitably secured a pair of flanged rings 2 and 3. A pair of cylindrical shells 4 and 5 aremounted upon said rings, being suitably secured as by the screws 6 shown in Figure 3. The shell 4 encloses the primary or vaporizing chamber 1 in which is mounted an electrical heating element 8 provided with a flat top or table 9 upon which'a cup of the medicament in solid or liquid form may be set. The shell 4 is provided with a removable lid lfl having a knob or handle H and which may or may not beprovided with the apertures 1-2 for the admission of-atmospheric air.

The shell 5 encloses the secondary or vapor heating chamber is in whichis mounted a heating element M which may be similar to the heating elementB. The chambers l and I3 are in communication by means oi? a pipe 15. This pipe preferably consists of two short sections coupled by a union it so that when necessary either of the shells 4 or 5 may be removed independently of the other.

The primary function of the electrical heating element i4 is to heat the vapor which has been volatilized by the heating element 8. Its secondary function is tovolatilize a second medicinal substance where it may be desired to gene erate a vapor whichis a mixture of the two ingredients. In such circumstances a cup of the second substance may be placed upon the top or table of the heating element l4. Preferably two stages of heat may be imparted to the heating element 8 by turning the switch I! to low or high position, the switch controlling two circuits, not shown, in one of which a rheostat, not shown, is interposed. The electrical controls and the circuits therefor are contained within the base l9 and which, being of conventional construction, are not illustrated.

Since many of the vapors used in the medical treatment of the ear'are of heavy and difiicultly volatile nature, it is desirable that condensation of these vapors upon the inner walls of the chambers l and I3 shall be minimized. Conservation of heat is secured by the interposition of a polished plate 28 between the plate I and the base I9. This plate is mounted intermediately between posts 2| of heat insulating material upon which posts the plate I with the vaporizing unit which it carries is supported.

The plate 1 is preferably provided with a peripheral groove or gutter 22 designed to catch any of the medicament which may be spilled upon the plate I or run down upon said plate when spilled upon the outer surfaces of the shells 4 and 5. Due to the heat conservation produced by the polished plate 20, the plate I will remain hot and consequently the spilled medicament will not harden, but will collect in the gutter 22 from which it may be mopped or drained.

The top end of the shell 5 supports the pump and motor unit which as a whole is designated by the reference character 23 and which may be bodily removed from the shell 5 by loosening the screw 24, see Figure 3, or other suitable fastening means. The pump and motor unit comprises a pump casing 25 and a motor casing 26. The pump and motor casings are separated by posts 21 and 28 of heat insulating material. Said posts are sectional and support between the sections, one or more polished plates 29. and 30. Said plates have the same function as the polished plate 20, that is to say, they reflect back the radiated heat from the vaporizing unit and the pump casing, conserving it in the vaporizing and vapor heating chambers and preventing its dissipation into the motor or motor casing.

The motor is suitably secured in the casing 25 by means of bolts 3| and 32 which pass through apertures in the motor brackets 33 and 34. By means of nuts 35, threaded on said bolts, the motor brackets and with them the motor may be adjusted vertically Within the motor casing 25. The motor casing is provided with the air vents 36 and a fan 31 on the armature shaft 38 maintains a circulation of air through the motor casing about the parts of the motor.

The armature shaft 38 extends into the pump casing 25 and into a socket 39 in the hub of the pump impeller 40. An end plate 4| normally closes the lower end of the pump casing and has an aperture 42 which puts the pump casing into communication with the vapor heating chamber I3.

An outlet pipe 43 communicates with the pump chamber 44 through the side of the pump casing 25, in the zone of the impeller 40. A flexible conduit 45 is connected to the pipe 43 and preferably carries at its opposite end a bifurcated fitting 46 connected by branch tubes 41 and 48,with the ear nozzles which are not shown. The pump impeller 43 has a peculiar construction illustrated in Figure 4. It consists of central or hub portion 49 having radial vanes 5|! and 5|. The vanes 50 are of such length as to approach the inner periphery of the pump casing 25. The vanes 5| alternate with the vanes 50 and are considerably shorter. The outlet pipe 43 communicates tangentially with respect to the rotation of the impeller 40. It is by reason of the difference in length between the vanes 50 and 5| that the proper-pulsating characteristic is imparted to the out-flowing jet of heated vapor. If all of the vanes were of the length of the vanes 50 rotation of the impeller would merely sweep a path for said vanes through the vapor occupying the pump chamber, producing a continuous, but not a pulsating discharge. If all of the vanes were of the length of the short vanes 5| they would be so far away from the periphery of the casing 25 as to merely sweep a path for themselves through the vapor without creating an appreciable discharge. The function of the short vanes is to throw the body of vapor centrifugally into the annular space whose width is the distance between the wall of the casing 25 and the ends of the short vanes, while the function of thelong vanes is to push this densified vapor into the outlet pipe 43. I

The speed of the motor 52 is variable and controlled by the rheostat 56 and dial I8. It may be started by spinning the knurled knob 53 which forms the outer projecting end of the armature shaft.

Since it is inevitable that in the course of time the vapor will condense upon the impeller, making it essential to cleanse the same, access to the impeller is facilitated by the removability of the plate 4| by loosening the screws 54. The impeller "may be removed from the armature shaft by recording to the volatile nature of the medicament.

The vapor volatilized in the chamber 1 passes through the pipe I5 into the chamber I3 where it is, heated. The turning of the dial I8 has closed the motor circuit so that the rotation of the impeller 40 draws heated vapor from the chamber I3 through the aperture 42 into the pump chamber 44 where the out-flowing current of heated vapor is broken into pulsations or puffs by the impeller 40. The speed of rotation of the impeller and consequently the frequency and force of the pulsations is delicately controlled by the rheostat 56 and dial I8. Upon discontinuation of the treatment, the current is turned off from the various electrical devices by the main switch, not shown on drawings. Condensation of the residual vapor within the apparatus necessarily occurs upon cooling which condensation must eventually be wiped out or otherwise removed. Removal of the lid l0 gives easy access to the interior of the shell 4 while entrance to the chamber I3 is gained by removing the pump and motor unit 23. The end plate 4| of the pump chamber may be removed and. the impeller taken off by loosening the set screw 55. r

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred'and practical embodiment of my invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the specific de-' the latter being provided with a tangentially disposed outlet in the zone of said impeller, the latter having alternate long and short blades, the long blades coming in proximity to the inner peripheral wall of said casing while the shorter .blades terminate at a distance remote from said peripheral Wall.

2. In therapeutic apparatus for the vapor treatment of the ear having a vapor chamber, a propeller device comprising a pump housing having a depending annular flange adapted to seat on the wall of the vapor chamber and a removable bottom formed with a central orifice, a motor housing secured above and in spaced relation to the pump housing, heat reflecting means interposed between the motor and pump housings, a hub depending into the central orifice of said reshaft extending axially through said housings movable bottom, said pump comprising a pluraland reflector elements, a motor on said shaft in ity of blades, some short and some long, arranged the motor housing and a pump secured by a hub in alternation around the hub.

5 on said shaft in the pump housing, said pump JOHN J. NOWAK. 5 

